Shoulder-mounted safety hood



July 23, 1963 E. J. HoAGLAND SHOULDER-MOUNTED SAFETY Hoon Filed Sept.19, 1960 INVENTOR. EARL. J. HOAGLAND BY W ma PZ l ummmnf QZQQHJQ@ UnitedStates Patent O 3,098,233 SHULDER-MUNTED SAFETY H0013 Earl J. Hoagland,Barrington, lll., assigner to Standard Safety Equipment Co., acorporation of Illinois Filed Sept. 19, 1960, Ser. No. 56,726 12 Claims.(Cl. 2 3) Before the present invention, safety hoods designed to protecta workers head from splashing by acids, caustics or the like, haveusually lbeen supported on the head. This has been the cause of somediscomfort, and, more important, has impeded the movement of the wearershead.

Usually the wearer is also wearing a protective coverall which must beoverlapped by the protective hood so that there is appreciable rubbingbetween the hood and the lower garment as the head turns. Forwardbending of the wearers head is similarly impeded, and tends also to belimited by the danger that the hood may slip from its proper place onthe head.

According to the present invention, the hood though light weight andlargely flexible, is mounted on the wearers shoulders. This presentedsome problems of providing comfortable and inexpensive support forholding the generally flexible hood free of the head within it.

The freedom of the head to turn, which is made possible by the shouldermounting, has presented a severe problem of visibility. Heretofore ithas been suflcient to provide a moderately wide transparent window,directly in front of the head, on which the hood was mounted. If thewearer turned his head, the window moved too. The new freedom of thehead to turn without turning the hood makes it desirable to extend thewindow far enough rearwardly on each side so that the vision will besubstantially unobstructed when the head turns. Similarly, a greatervertical extent of the window, especially in front, becomes moredesirable. This is partly because the wearers head may be Ipositionedhigher or lower depending on the length of his neck and the set of hisshoulders, and partly because he has considerable ability to bend hishead forwardly within the helmet which lowers his eye level and isusually accompanied by a desire to see something at or near floor level.

The enlarged new window presents problems of providing a sucient sealbetween the window and the body of the hood, especially inasmuch as theready replaceability of the window is highly desirable.

According to the present invention, these various problems have beensatisfactorily solved. The hood is supported from the shoulders withminimum weight by the aid of a few stiifening members which are sodesigned that they do not add evcessively to the cost, and do not causediscomfort. The window is extended Well beyond half way from front torear, and its bottom edge dips from the ends (which are over theshoulders) to the central portion. Satisfactory sealing in spite of thesize and shape of the window is attained with the aid of flexiblemagnetic stripping. If protection from obnoxious gases is desired, oneof the stiffening members can comprise a tube for conducting compressedlair to the top of the hood. This not only provides air for the wearerto breathe, but provides a flow of air outwardly through all areas whereotherwise the surrounding obnoxious gases might enter.

Additional objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription and from the drawings.

Designation of F gures FIGURE l is a front view of a hood chosen forillustration of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side View of the hood shown in FIG. l.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately along the line3 3 of FIG. l.

3,98,Z33 Patented July 23, 1963 r'ce FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary viewshowing details of the braces and vents, being taken approximately alongthe line 4 4 of FIG. 3.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional and partially perspective view on ascale considerably larger than that of FIGS. l to 3, showing details ofthe construction designed for sealing around the edges of thetransparent window.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional View taken approximatelyalong the line 6 6 of FIG. 4, showing especially the concealment andsecuring of the bracing.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary view partly in section, along the line 7 7 ofFIG. l, looking upwardly at the top of the hood to show the airliberation features thereof, which are preferably provided whenprotection from obnoxious gases may be desired.

General Description Although the following disclosure offered for publicdissemination is detailed to ensure adequacy 'and aid understanding,this is not intended to prejudice that purpose of a patent which is tocover each new inventive concept therein -no matter how others may laterdisguise it by variations in form or additions or further improvements.The claims at the end hereof are intended as the chief aid toward thispurpose; as it is these that meet the requirement of pointing out theparts, improvements, or combinations in which the inventive concepts arefound.

The illustrated form of shoulder-mounted safety hood includes a headhood 11 and a ounce 12 extending from the bottom thereof land serving adual purpose of support from the shoulders and of overlapping aprotective garment worn by the worker from the shoulder down. The headhood 11 includes a crown 13', a back 14 and a transparent window 16,which in the present commercial form is a plastic sheet which can beflexed to the shape shown. The unusually large size of the window 16 andits shape, extended downwardly in its central region, is one of thefeatures of the preferred form of this invention, but makes the problemof sealing more diicult. This difficulty is solved by other features ofthe invention.

The back 14 may include vent openings 17, although usually no suchopenings will be provided if air is to be liberated within the hood. Ifthe vent openings 17 are provided they will be provided with small hoods18 sealed to the back 1d all around the openings 17 except for beingopen at the bottom of the hood 18 which is spaced substantially belowthe vent openings 17, to prevent harmful liquid from entering throughthe vents 17.

Shoulder M oumz'ng Preferably a yoke band 21 or horseshoe is providedwhich rests on the shoulders of the worker. Tlbis yoke band mayconveniently Ibe continuous with the material of the body portion 22 yof(the head hood, extending below the point where it is joined to theflo-unce 12. The yoke band 21 is desi-rably reinforced with an extralayer of the flexible material. It Ihas been found not to need astitfening member. In the illustrated form, the yoke band extends acrossthe chest and up over each shoul- =der and ldown Ibehind the shoulderslbut not across the lback. From each vend of the yoke 21, there extends,a retaining strap 23. After the worker dons the mask, he may pull the4forward end of the strap under his arm and up .to snap -it to t-he yoke21. Preferably fthe strap 23 has a buckle 24 adjustably positioned onthe strap 23 and provided wit-h one Ihalf of a snap fastener, the otherhalf of which is secured on the yoke 21 as indicated at 26 in FIG. l.

Bracng 'Ilhe [back part rof the hood is held upright over the hea/d bymeans of a hack-bone brace 28, the full length of which is seen in FIG.3. The brace 2S is secured along the Iback 14 and the back `of the crown13 by tape 29. This tape is secured to fthe body material by a line ofstitches along each side, and preferably also is adbered to the bodymaterial. In FIG. 6 the stitches are in this instance represented at 31.All stitches are externally sealed by a seal tape 32 which is adhered tothe body material, preferably by heat sealing. All similar internaltapes are likewise sewn along both edges and sealed externally, althoughin most instances these details have been omitted from the drawingssince they would -be confusing. Likewise, external sealing tape is usedat all yother places where stitches join parts, or other- 'wise piercethe material of the body, except at the bottom hem. Por example, thereare such stitches, sealed by an external tape, for the ilaps 64 later toItbe described.

'lhe weight of the head hood is transferred from brace or stay 28 to atransverse brace `or stay 33 without any rigid joining of these twobraces. This is accomplished by the body material 34 especially in thevicinity of the crossing of the two braces. Although the transversebrace 33 can be secured to the material 34 with a tape in the samemanner as brace 28, the crossing of the braces presents a specialproblem. If tape were to be used dior securing transverse brace 33 itwould probably be omitted in the vicinity of backbone brace 28, but thiswould leave brace 33 exposed and raise questions of its possiblybecoming corroded. Preferably therefor the entire length of transversebrace 33 is enclosed within a tube 36 of flexible material, and thistube is sewn above and below the transverse brace 33 the same as a tapewould be, the stitches being omitted from the area 37 near the backbonebrace 28 where it would be difficult to draw the material together.

Transverse brace 33 preferably does not rest directly on the shoulders,as that might cause discomfort. Its load is transmitted over theshoulder areas in part by a brace or stay 41 over each shouder. As seenbest in FIG. 3, each brace 41 extends from just over the end lof brace33 forwardly and downwardly and around almost to the middle of the frontportion of the hood. These braces also receive load from a smallyforward brace or stay 42 which helps support the forward portion of thebood. The brace 41 is secured by a .tape 43, and a brace 42 4is securedby a tape 44. Again, the braces are preferably not directly engaged withone another but the load is transmitted from one to the other flexiblythrough the body material reinforced `by the internal tapes and externalsealing tapes. The external sealing tapes in question in this instanceare shown in FIG. l. Sealing tape 46 seals the stitches used for boldingtape 43 and sealing tape 47 seals the stitches for tape 44.

An outer sealing tape 48 is also shown in FIG. l. 'Ibis tape seals thestitches joining lthe flounce -12 to the head hood 11, at the root ofthe yoke 21.

Air Discharge Although the backbone brace 28 may be a solid rod, as arethe other braces, it has been illustrated in the form of a tube. Thelower end 51 of the tube is free :so that an air hose may be attached toit. As best seen in fFIG. 7 the upper end of the tubular brace 28 hasyan `open end 52 which is preferably located inside of a pocket 53 sewnon the inside of crown 13. If desired, vthe tube 28 may be flaredlaterally as seen at 54 for greater comfort above the bead (although itwill not ordinarily touch the head) and preferably providing an enlargedaperture for silencing the outow of air. The pocket 53 also helps reducethe hiss :of the air as it escapes.

If the vents 17 are provided and the air is supplied through tube 28, itis preferable that the vent 17 be sealed over so that the air would beforced out through the bottom of the hood, and a positive pressure wouldbe provided around the periphery of the transparent window.

Securing and Sealing of Replaceable Window In hoods of this type it isimportant to be able to replace the windows readily. Transparentplastics from which such as these windows are at present made are easilydamaged. Most users prefer to replace the windows as soon as thevisibility is noticeably impaired.

The main securing lof the flexible transparent window sheet 16 is bymeans lof four snap fasteners. One half 61 of each snap fastener issecured to the sheet 16 and the other half 62 is secured to a llap 63 onthe inner side of `the sheet 16, all as seen best in VFIG. 5. The flap63 may be the continuation `of the body material 22. Preferably .thesesnap fasteners are located at the center of each of the four sides (thetwo sides and the top and bottom of the window). The most important twoor them are shown in broken lines in FIG. l. The other two are shown inFIGS. 2 and 3 respectively. FIG. 3 shows in full lines the insidefitting 62.

It is important that lthe window 16 be substantially sealed all aroundits periphery. This can sometimes be accomplished by a member Iundertension `drawn around the convex curvature of the plastic window.However, with the bottom line of the window in this instance depressedat its center portion, sealing `of this type is not practicable. 'Ilheproblem bas been solved in this instance by using a pair of flexiblemagnetic strips as seen best in PIG. 5. Strips of this nature arealready known and available. One is secured all along the peripherallength of the inner flap 63 and the other is secured all along theperipheral length of an outer flap 64 which is sealed to the bodymaterial 22 beyond the area of the window 16. These magnetic strips maybe secured by thin lms 66 lof plastic material heat-sealed .to the flaps63 and 64. The two magnetic strips 67 are available with transversemagnetization and they should be disposed with magnetic opposition toone another so that they will attract one another through the iilrns 66and the sheet 16, .thereby clinging tightly to the sheet 16.

Itis not intended that this seal be gastight at all points of theperiphery. itis enough that it be so nearly so that splashed liquidcannot find its way inside of the hood and also, so that if gasprotection is desired, the air supply through tube 28 will find solittle chance to escape that a slight positive pressure will bemaintained inside the hood and air will ilow outwardly at any point ofcommunication between the inside of the hood Aand the outside.

To minimize the entry of splashing it is preferred that 4the outer ilap64 be preshaped to curl toward the sheet 16 at the lip of the flap asseen in FIG. 5.

The upper and lower flaps 64 preferably lie over the end flaps 64, andare provided with snap fasteners 69 at their ends. Upon separating thesnap fasteners 69, all four flaps may be folded out for facilitatinginsertion of the transparent sheet 16. The transparent sheet 16 can beinserted without too great diflculties, however, even if the ends of theaps are permanently secured.

As seen from FIG. 3, the window represented by transparent sheet 16extends back approximately to about the middle of the shoulder, or thehighest point of yoke 21. With slightly less perfect use of theinvention, the window might extend only approximately midway from frontto rear of the hood. With less extent than that, visibility would beobjectionably impaired upon turning the head within the hood.

The hood may be made of any material suitable for the intended use of aparticular hood including, for example, any materials used for somewhatcomparable hoods other than those including this invention. Although thedrawing has illustrated the body material 22 as being plastic, a plasticcoated woven fabric is preferred. Preferably the fabric is alsoimpregnated with the coating material or other chemically resistantmaterial. The exact coating material will depend upon the hazard, butordinarily the coating material should be resistant at :least to strongalkalies and to common acids including hydrochloric, nitric andsulphuric, and to most hydrocarbons and amines and hydroxy compounds.The material should be self-extinguishing in that it will not supportlits own cornbustion at normal temperatures. The fabric can be glasscloth for still greater fire resistance and tear resistance.

From the foregoing, it is seen that a shoulder supported `safety hood isprovided which Iis light in weight, comfortable, provides goodvisibility when the head turns independently of the hood, is economicalto manufacture, and which, if desired, can be equipped for softdiffusion of air inside the crown.

I claim:

1. A shoulder-mounted windowed safety hood formed in large part of softmaterial and including a head hood adapted to cover the human head, adownward extension therefrom having front and back portions connected byshoulder portions adapted to rest on the human shoulders, a transverselyextending relatively rigid transverse brace secured across the backportion near the shoulder portions, an upwardly extending relativelyrigid brace secured along the back portion to be supported by theshoulders through the transverse brace, extending below the transversebrace to be positioned by the back lof the wearer and crossing thetransverse brace and extending substantially to the top of the head hoodto support the head hood independently of the head therein, said headhood including a transparent portion in the front.

2. A hood according to claim vl in which the head hood is substantiallylarger than the human head, so that the head may turn therein, thewindow extending at least las far rearwardly as half way from front torear.

3. A hood according to claim 1 in which the braces are concealed bystrips of material secured to the lsheath along most of their lengths,including points along the transverse brace in proximity to the pointwhere the braces cross, the braces being free of one another but boundinto cooperative relation by the securing thereof to the sheath.

4. A safety hood according to claim l in which the upwardly extendingbrace lis 1a tube having its discharge opening near the top of the hood,a pocket enclosing the discharge opening and having a wide openingwithin the hood, to liberate softly the air supplied through the tube.

5. A safety hood according to claim l in which the upwardly extendingbrace is a tube having its discharge opening near the top of the hood.

6. A safety hood according to claim l having relatively rigid bracesextending transversely over the shoulder portions and over the ends ofthe transverse brace.

7. A safety hood including a flexible body having a window openingtherein, a flexible transparent sheet in the opening, and means forsealing the body to the sheet and holding the sheet for readyreplacement including a pair of flaps extending from the body inside andoutside of the sheet all .along its edge, and substantially continuousflexible magnet strips carried by and secured to the respective flaps tobe opposite to one another all along the periphery of the sheet with thesheet between them, the strips being oppositely magnetized transverselyto attract one another throughout their length, and the bottom of theopening extending lower at its midporti-on than lat its ends.

8. A safety hood including a flexible body having a window openingtherein, a flexible transparent sheet in the opening, and means forsealing the body to the sheet `and holding the sheet for readyreplacement including a pair of flaps extending from the body inside andoutside of the sheet all along its edge, and substantially continuo-usflexible magnet strips carried by and secured to the respective flaps tobe opposite to one another all along the periphery of the sheet with thesheet between them, the strips being oppositely magnetized transverselyto attract one lanother throughout their length.

9. A safety hood including a flexible body having a window openingtherein, a `flexible transparent sheet in the opening, and means forsealing the body tothe sheet and holding the sheet for ready replacementincluding a pair of flaps extending from the body inside and outside ofthe sheet all along its edge, and substantially continuous flexiblemagnet strips carried by and secured to the respective flaps to beopposite to one another all along the periphery of the sheet with thesheet between them, fthe strips being oppositely magnetized transverselyt0 attract one another throughout their length, 'and securing means forholding the sheet in place independently of the magnet strips.

10. A safety hood including a flexible body having a Window openingtherein, a flexible transparent sheet in the opening, and means forsealing the body to the sheet and holding the sheet `for readyreplacement including a pair of flaps extending `from .the body insideand outside of the sheet all along its edge, and substantiallycontinuous flexible magnet strips carried by and secured to therespective flaps to be opposite to one another all along the peripheryof the sheet with the sheet between them, the strips being oppositelymagnetized transversely t0 attract one another throughout their length,and securing means for holding the sheet in place independently of themagnet strips; said sheet being flexed rearwardly at the sides and saidsecuring means including means securing the body to the sheet at thefront at the top and bottom of the sheet.

1l. A safety hood including a flexible body having a window openingtherein extending across the front and rearwardly on both sides andextending lower at the front than at the sides, a flexible transparentsheet in the opening flexed rearwardly on both sides, releasablesecuring means for holding the sheet in the opening including meansreleasably securing the body to the sheet at the front at the top andbottom of the sheet, means for sealing the body to the sheet including-a pair of flaps extending from the body inside and outside of the sheetat least all along its bottom edge, and flexible magnet s-trips carriedby and secured to the respective flaps to be opposite to one anotherwith the sheet between them, the strips being oppositely magnetizedtransversely to attract one another throughout their length.

12. A windowed safety hood adapted to cover the human head andshoulders, including a sheath having front and back portions connectedby shoulder portions adapted to rest on the human shoulders, the backportion extending upwardly behind and rover the top of the head to formthe body of the head hood, relatively rigid brace means for supportingthe head hood from the shoulders independently of the head therein, saidhead hood being substantially larger than the human head to permit thehead to be turned therein, transparent means forming a window in thehood across the front thereof and rearwardly on both sides to at leastthe front of the shoulders extending to a lower position in front thanover the shoulders, and means along the bottom edge of the window sealedto the sheath and frictionally engaging the transparent means, includingflexible magnet strips on opposite sides of the transparent means,opposing one another to attract one another through the transparentmeans.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,201,566 Davidson r Oct. 17, 1916 2,066,706 Watters Ian. 5, 19372,319,292 Boggs May 18, 1943 2,759,178 Woodard Aug. 2l, 1956 FOREIGNPATENTS 16,265 Great Britain o of 1913

1. A SHOULDER-MOUNTED WINDOWED SAFETY HOOD FORMED IN LARGE PART OF SOFTMATERIAL AND INCLUDING A HEAD HOOD ADAPTED TO COVER THE HUMAN HEAD, ADOWNWARD EXTENSION THEREFROM HAVING FRONT AND BACK PORTIONS CONNECTED BYSHOULDER PORTIONS ADAPTED TO REST ON THE HUMAN SHOULDERS, A TRANSVERSELYEXTENDING RELATIVELY RIGID TRANSVERSE BRACE SECURED ACROSS THE BACKPORTION NEAR THE SHOULDER PORTIONS, AN UPWARDLY EXTENDING RELATIVELYRIGID BRACE SECURED ALONG THE BACK PORTION TO BE SUPPORTED BY THESHOULDERS THROUGH THE TRANSVERSE BRACE, EXTENDING BELOW THE TRANSVERSEBRACE TO BE POSITIONED BY THE BACK OF THE OF THE WEARER AND CROSSING THETRANSVERSE BRAWCE AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE TOP OF THE HEADHOOD TO SUPPORT THE HEAD HOOD INDEPENDENTLY OF THE HEAD THEREIN, SAIDHEAD HOOD INCLUDING A TRANSPARENT PORTION IN THE FRONT.